Definition of Backer

In the poker world, "backers" are, in many ways, the lifeblood of the economy.

"Backers" will provide financial backing to players who are in need of money to buy in to tournaments.

For instance, let's say that there is a very talented player who is very bad when it comes to bankroll management.

A "backer" might agreed to put this player into a $10,000 tournament, with an agreement that the two will split any winnings, after the $10,000 buy-in is paid back.

Many backers will enter into longer-term deals with their "horses". These deals usually include "make-up", which means that horses must pay back previous losses before they can take any of a tournament's profit.

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In reality, many of the poker players that you see in "live" poker tournaments, especially easily recognizable older players, are "staked" and have backers.